Tyler Seguin: ‘My understanding is I could go to [AHL]’

WILMINGTON — As players figure out where they might spend the NHL lockout, Tyler Seguin helped clear up his situation a bit by saying he believes he is eligible to play in the AHL this season.

Seguin is a veteran of 175 NHL games (including playoffs) and would seemingly have to go through waivers, but the third-year winger said (vaguely) that he thinks he can play in the AHL.

“My understanding is I could go to Providence,” he said. “I haven’t decided anything and we haven’t talked about anything. I haven’t talked to management since [signing] the contract, so nothing’s going in forward motion with that stuff. I’m just trying to wait it out and hopefully something happens here with the CBA.”

A source told WEEI.com that Seguin could not get to the AHL without clearing waivers because of how many games he’s played, though the possibility exists (as pointed out by Mike Loftus of the Patriot Ledger on Twitter) that waivers could be avoided if a situation arises in which Seguin could simply sign an AHL contract.

The rule regarding waivers states that players who signed their entry-level deals at age 18 (as Seguin did) would be exempt from waivers if they played less than 160 NHL games. Seguin, at the aforementioned 175 games, does not qualify.

Earlier in the week, Seguin said that he was considering either the AHL or potentially looking at Europe, something he reiterated Friday.

“You’ve got to be cautious and have some options,” he said. “Obviously I have mine, but for right now you want to play NHL hockey first. That’s what I’m hoping for.”

According to the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont, Jordan Caron will play for Providence if there’s a lockout. Given that he has played 73 games at the NHL, he will be exempt from waivers. The B’s placed Garnet Exelby, Christian Hanson, Jamie Tardif, and Trent Whitfield on waivers this week in order to have them play in the AHL.